despaired

verb

past tense of despair
as in grieved
to lose all hope or confidence we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despaired The 49ers energetically dominated in a 27-7 victory while the Rams exhaustedly despaired in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue that hosts Australian rules football games that aren’t this ugly. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Benjamin killed himself at the French-Spanish border in 1940, having despaired of his chances of escaping the Nazis. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 In 2014, the party despaired at the success of the Koch donor network — decades of right-wing philanthropy that paid off in the tea party movement. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 June 2026 In her interview, Guthrie also despaired over the possibility that her fame could have made her mother a target for kidnappers, Page Six also reported. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 The Herald’s competitors despaired of ever competing with that paper’s speedy acquisition of news, and one, the Journal of Commerce, eventually gave up and created a cooperative agreement with the Herald that would become instrumental in the creation of the Associated Press. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026 Democrats rejoiced; Republicans despaired. — Kevin Igoe, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026 The news of her 23-year-old son’s execution shocked and despaired the world. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025 Anyone who ever despaired about their outstanding mortgage remaining virtually static despite months of repayments will relate. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despaired
  1. grieved
  2. suffered
  3. mourned
Verb
  • Several fans grieved the restaurant’s closing on its social pages.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Jake Reiner sat for an interview with ABC7 Los Angeles on Thursday, delving into how his surviving family has grieved during the past several months since his parents’ deaths.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of grieved
Verb
  • The Seahawks, defending Super Bowl champions, got a collective whiff of smelling salts before Sunday’s game, having suffered an embarrassing loss at Washington a week earlier.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • After her leftist boyfriend moved away to pursue union organizing, Livia suffered a series of tragedies that led her to drop out of college and return to her hometown.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of suffered
Verb
  • In a statement later on Saturday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem mourned Maisa Abu Dawoud and her daughter, Mary, extending condolences to their family.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In the ensuing days, Yurash's social media posts mourned Kuvshynova's death and railed at the Russians.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of mourned

Browse Nearby Words

despair
despaired
despairing
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Cite this Entry

“Despaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despaired. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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